More food

This could be a kitchen project for parent and child together: One forms the mouse bodies, the other adds ears, eyes and tail.

When buying sliced almonds, look for ones that have not been blanched - that still have edges of brown almond skin. Those will make the best-looking mouse ears. Adapted from "The Daily Cookie," by Anna Ginsburg (Andrews McMeel, 2012).

In Spain, these Almond Cookies are frequently made with pork fat; this recipe calls for butter instead. (Photo for The Washington Post by Deb Lindsey)

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer, at medium speed. Once the mixture is light and fluffy, after 3 to 4 minutes, beat in the salt and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the egg yolk. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring by hand or using the lowest speed of the mixer, until fully combined. The dough should be slightly dry, but not so dry that it falls apart. If your dough is too dry to easily mold, add the cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is malleable.

Scoop up tablespoonfuls of dough and shape them into little ovals with a pointy end. Arrange them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Insert the almond slices for ears and a chow mein noodle or piece of cereal for a tail. Use chocolate mini-chips or currants to make the eyes.

Bake one sheet at a time for 15 to 20 minutes or until the mice are slightly browned. Transfer the mice to a wire rack to cool completely.

---

Fabio Trabocchi's Almond Cookies, makes sixty 2-inch cookies

This is chef Fabio Trabocchi's take on polvorones, a Spanish cookie that's a favorite of his wife, Maria.

MAKE AHEAD: The dough needs to be wrapped and refrigerated for at least 1 hour and up to 1 week. Adapted from Trabocchi, chef-owner of Fiola in Washington.

Ingredients:

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 cups almond flour, such as Bob's Red Mill brand

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tablespoon finely grated lime or lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Pinch salt

60 whole blanched almonds (see NOTE)

Steps:

Combine the butter, sugar, the flours, lime or lemon zest, cinnamon, almond extract and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at moderately low speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

Turkish Delight Florentines are a fusion of a popular European cookie and a favorite Middle Eastern candy. (Photo for The Washington Post by Deb Lindsey)

Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into thirds. Form each piece into a log; wrap the logs separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until slightly firm.

When ready to bake, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut two of the logs crosswise into 20 pieces each and roll each piece into a ball. Transfer the balls to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Use your fingers to flatten them slightly, then press an almond into the top of each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes on the upper and lower racks, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pans again.

Santa s Whiskers are a favorite with children; the coconut in the cookies is meant to suggest Santa Claus fluffy beard. (Photo for The Washington Post by Deb Lindsey)

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are barely golden; watch closely so they don't get dark. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then slide the parchment onto cooling racks. Repeat to cook the third log of dough. Let the cookies cool completely before serving or storing. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

NOTE: If you can't find blanched (skinned) almonds in the store, blanch them yourself. Place whole almonds in a large heatproof bowl. Cover them with boiling water and let them soak for 60 seconds. Drain the almonds in a colander or strainer, rinse them under cold water, drain briefly and transfer them to several layers of paper towels to dry.

In Peanut Butter Chocolate Whirligigs, the chocolate, which is spread over the peanut butter dough, ends up creating an interesting pattern in the baked cookie. (Photo for The Washington Post by Deb Lindsey)

When the almonds are cool enough to handle, squeeze them to slip off their skins. Dry them completely before using or storing.

These bright, chewy, chocolaty, fruity cookies are terrific singly and equally good with the cherry filling. You can make them as small as a couple of inches or as large as 6 inches in diameter.

MAKE AHEAD: The dough needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour before baking. From Kate Jansen, pastry chef at Willow restaurant in Arlington, Va.

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup or honey

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped dried sour cherries

For the filling

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup Smucker's Orchard Finest Michigan Red Tart Cherry Preserves

Steps:

For the cookies: Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and rolled oats in a large bowl.

Beat together the butter, shortening, sugars and the golden syrup or honey in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until very light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating until incorporated. Use a flexible spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and cherries. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two baking sheets with nonstick cooking oil spray.

Scoop out 1-inch balls of dough and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Press down on the top of each ball to flatten it slightly. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until evenly browned. (The cooking time will vary if you make the dough balls larger or smaller.) Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely before assembling the sandwiches.

For the filling: Place the cream cheese in a bowl and use a spoon or flexible spatula to stir and soften it further. Add the preserves and stir to incorporate. Invert half of the cookies so the flat side is facing up, and spoon a small mound of filling onto each cookie. Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down.

---

Turkish Delight Florentines, makes about 15 cookies

This is a fusion of a popular European cookie and a favorite Middle Eastern candy. You want it to look striking; buy sliced almonds that have been blanched so they have no brown skin remaining.

You can make the cookies free-form, into rough circles, or you can use a (sharp and sturdy) cookie/pastry cutter to cut them into perfect rounds. Adapted from "Malouf: New Middle Eastern Food," by Greg and Lucy Malouf (Hardie Grant, 2012).

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup superfine sugar

Scant 4 1/2 cups blanched, sliced almonds

2 ounces flour (1/3 cup plus 5 teaspoons)

4 to 8 pieces rosewater Turkish delight, finely chopped

7 ounces excellent-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking oil spray and line them with parchment paper.

Bring the butter, cream and sugar to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then stir in the almonds and flour.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving plenty of room between each one for spreading. Use a wet fingertip to flatten the cookies slightly. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the nuts are deep golden in color. If desired, remove the baking sheets from the oven after 8 to 10 minutes, when the nuts are a light golden brown, and use a cookie-pastry cutter to cut the cookies into neat circles before returning them to the oven to finish baking.

Remove the cookies from the oven and, while they are still warm, scatter them with the pieces of Turkish delight. Once the cookies are cool and firm, transfer them to a wire rack.

Melt the chocolate in a small pan set over a saucepan of barely bubbling water, stirring frequently. Use a pastry brush to apply a thick coat of chocolate to the flat sides of the cookies. If desired, use a fork to create the traditional wavy pattern in the soft chocolate. Leave the cookies chocolate side up to let them harden completely before storing in an airtight container.

---

Santa's Whiskers, makes about sixty 2 3/4-inch cookies

This is a favorite cookie for children. The coconut is meant to suggest Santa Claus' fluffy beard.
Buy good-quality candied (glace) cherries, which are dry-packed, and not maraschino cherries, which are packed in liquid. Some versions of this recipe call for a combination of red and green ones.

The recipe doubles easily.

MAKE AHEAD: The dough needs to chill for 2 hours before baking. From Susan Lacz of Ridgewell's Catering.

Ingredients:

8 ounces red candied cherries (see headnote)

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons low-fat milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

4 ounces chopped pecans

4 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

Steps:

Place the cherries in a colander, rinse them quickly and allow them to drain well.

Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla extract, and beat to combine.

Use paper towels to gently pat the cherries dry if they are still wet. Use a knife or a food processor to coarsely chop the cherries. Use a flexible spatula to fold them into the butter-sugar mixture, then to fold in the flour and pecans.

Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Spread the coconut on a piece of wax paper and roll each log in the coconut to coat. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours; or wrap tightly and freeze for later use.

When ready to bake, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Have 2 baking sheets at hand.

Cut the logs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating the logs as you cut to help them retain their round shape. Transfer the slices to the baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart, and bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, the transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat to bake all of the cookies.

---

Peanut Butter Chocolate Whirligigs, makes 23 to 34 cookies

A rich peanut butter cookie dough is slathered liberally with dark chocolate, then the whole thing is rolled into a log and chilled. When sliced, the chocolate creates an interesting pattern. Don't obsess if yours doesn't form a perfect pinwheel; the chocolate is brittle when sliced, but you can reshape the cookies along the way.

MAKE AHEAD: The dough needs to chill for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. The logs of assembled, unbaked cookies must be chilled for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. Adapted from "Baked Elements," by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012).

For the dough: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

Combine the butter, sugars, oil and peanut butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract, beating until incorporated.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add half of the flour mixture. Beat just until incorporated; do not overmix. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.

Transfer the dough to a cool, lightly floured work surface and shape into a disk. Wrap the disk in parchment paper, then in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

Dust a rolling pin lightly with flour. Line a work surface with a piece of parchment paper about 14 inches long and dust with a sprinkling of flour. Divide the disk of chilled dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Roll out the remaining half on the parchment into a rectangle about 9 1/2 inches long by 7 1/2 inches wide and just less than 1/2 inch thick. (If the dough is too thin, it will be extremely difficult to roll.) Transfer the dough, still on the parchment, to the refrigerator to firm up. Repeat the rolling process for the remaining half of the disk and refrigerate.

For the chocolate filling: While the dough is chilling, combine the chocolate and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely bubbling water, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Whisk until smooth, then allow to cool for a few minutes.

To assemble, remove 1 sheet of dough from the refrigerator. Pour half of the chocolate onto the middle of the dough rectangle and use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to spread it nearly to the edge of the two short sides of the dough. Leave a 1/2-inch strip bare of chocolate on one of the long sides. Double up the chocolate on the opposite long side; this will be the center of the cookie.

Using the parchment paper to help you, slowly roll the dough into a log, starting from the long side of the rectangle that has double chocolate. (The paper should not be inside the log but used as a tool to help create the log.) Once the dough is rolled, keep it wrapped in the paper, then wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate. Repeat with the second sheet of dough.

Chill the logs for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours, until they feel very solid; if they do not feel solid, they probably need to be refrigerated for a few hours longer.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap one of the logs and place it on a cutting surface. Dip a knife in very hot water and cut the log into individual cookies, 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. If the cookies become disfigured in the cutting process, you can use your fingers to reshape them; if the chocolate breaks or spills out, you can gently push it back into place. Repeat to slice all of the cookies.

Bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 13 minutes on the middle rack, rotating the baking sheet front to back halfway through the baking time. Do not overbake; remove the cookies from the oven the second they start to brown.

Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.